A new veggie for your diet

Compiled by Ruk Rakaganno, The Tree Society of Sri Lanka

The Mussenda as it is commonly known is a shrub growing up to 3m in height. It has climbing, spreading branches which are cylindrical and covered with velvet like material. The leaves of the Mussenda are ovate to lanceolate with a rounded base. The veins are prominently marked. The leaves have a fine velvet covering.

The flowers are brilliant orange and small. One sepal is enlarged and resembles a leaf but is creamy white to pink in colour. The shrub is easily recognisable by its flowers with this peculiar characteristic. The flowering season is from April to August.

The Mussenda has medicinal properties. The root is used to treat leprosy and the petals of the flowers are used to treat jaundice. The flowers are used in treating asthma and fever. The leaves and flowers are used externally to remove inflammations and as detergents for ulcers. All parts of the shrub are used to make a congee for those suffering from hepatitis. The whitish sepal is used as a vegetable and can be fried and eaten like papadam hence it is sometimes referred to as the Papadam gas.

The Mussenda is native to Sri Lanka and is commonly found in scrub jungles and along road sides in the wet lowlands up to 4000 feet. The scientific name is Mussaenda frondosa and in Sinhalese it is known as Mussenda or Papadam gas. In Tamil it is called ellaiyillai which is a reference to the whitish enlarged sepal of the flower.